IT HAS been a decade since the bespectacled boy wizard first waved his magic wand on the big screen and eight films and billions of dollars later, the most successful movie franchise in history is finally coming to an end.
Harry Potter’s last stand against “you know who” is a satisfyingly thrilling, explosive and dramatic conclusion to a franchise which has seen viewers watch both its characters and actors grow up in real time — a movie first.
Whether muggle or magical, it’s hard not to have a lump in your throat seeing Potter and chums slam their spell books shut and hang up their broomsticks for good.
It comes as a relief, therefore, to see the increasingly sagging saga brought back on track for the final adventure and the magic which was beginning to rub off in previous films is back with a whizz and a bang.
The story picks up where the last movie left off and Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Hermione (Emma Watson) and Ron (Rupert Grint) continue their mission to find and destroy the “horcruxes” which the nefarious Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) needs so he can stay alive forever or at least until he can grow a proper nose.
The hunt leads them back to Hogwarts, where the final clues are somewhere hidden.
As teachers and pupils ready themselves for a showdown against Voldemort and his hordes, the truth about Harry and his destiny is finally unveiled.
With little in the way of recaps, newbies to the story will no doubt be bewildered by the dizzying array of characters, obscure names and mind-bogglingly complex backstory, but the already initiated will feel a rush of adrenaline as, at last, the missing pieces of the puzzle come together.
There are some superb set pieces too — a heart-pounding raid on Gringotts Bank, an explosive battle between the death eaters and an army of stone warriors and, of course, the final crackling, epic wand fight between Harry and Voldemort.
As the crucial battle against good and evil approaches, the simmering sexual tension between our young heroes is also broken and several romances blossom, with a passionate kiss between Ron and Hermione prompting whoops of delight and applause from the auditorium.
But whereas comparable scenes in previous films often felt dramatically flat, the plot now fizzes with so much tension and zing, it’s hard to contain your excitement at times.
A flashback to Harry’s first school year is a nostalgic reminder of how far we have all come and it’s a fittingly spectacular final chapter to the boy wizard’s long-winded odyssey — one which will no doubt leave you with a tear in your eye.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (12A) is released on Friday.
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